Airline News - North America

Jan 28, 2008

ASTA has filed consumer-friendly comments with the Department of Transportation (DOT) to update the 20-year old DOT rules on how airlines compensate passengers denied boarding. ASTA wants the airlines to double the compensation for involuntarily bumped passengers. "ASTA's recommendations, if implemented, would reduce the number of instances in which airline passengers are involuntarily bumped and, in the event that an airline is forced to bump a passenger, create a more stable and acceptable process for doing so," said Cheryl Hudak, ASTA president and CEO. ASTA wants better information on risks, evenhanded pro-consumer policies and cash payment instead of vouchers. Jan 23, 2008

Fares, hotel rates soar for Presidents Day weekend Some travelers are changing their plans to avoid high airfares and hotel rates during the Presidents Day weekend. The holiday, which falls on the third Monday in February, has become more popular for the travel industry, but lower prices still exist for travelers with flexible schedules. Jan 23, 2008

List of U.S. states considering passengers' rights legislation grows. Several states across the country have announced their intentions to implement laws that would require airlines to provide things such as food, water and working restrooms to passengers during lengthy tarmac delays. Now, some lawmakers in the state of Washington are making a push for a law to protect airline passengers' rights. Several carriers have already spoken out against the Washington legislation, saying that their customer service policies are adequate. Airlines and the Air Transport Association have spoken out against legislation in other states as well as a federal passenger rights bill, while arguing that only the federal government has the right to regulate the industry. Jan 23, 2008

Anyone flying at peak times around the Presidents Day weekend, Friday to Sunday or Monday, is likely to pay high fares. Though some airlines are running sales, the lowest fares are often scarce or unavailable on the holiday weekend. JetBlue Airways Corp. yesterday announced a four-day sale for flights in four major regions, including the Caribbean, but it cautioned in the fine print that the fares might not be available for trips between Feb. 12 and 28. Jan 22, 2008

Fuel costs have been especially significant this month, as U.S.airlines have been alternately raising and rolling back fuel surcharges. "Our fuel prices today are roughly 50% to 60% higher than a year ago this time," says Tim Smith, a spokesman for AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, which last week doubled its fuel surcharge to $40 round-trip, only to return it to $20 in order to remain competitive. Jan 22, 2008

Presidents Day isn't thought of as a major holiday in the U.S., but it has become big business for the travel industry, with the largest crowds at ski resorts and Caribbean destinations. In 2007, the long weekend around Presidents Day drew more bookings than Labor Day weekend for online travel agency Orbitz.com, making it the fifth-busiest holiday weekend of the year. Many schools close for the holiday or the whole week, prompting families to travel, and Valentine's Day this year falls on the Thursday before the holiday, encouraging people to take a long weekend. This year, other factors are driving prices higher, too. Because of tight capacity, firm demand and rising fuel costs, airfares for February and March are 7% to 12% higher than they were a year earlier, says Rick Seaney, chief executive of FareCompare.com, which tracks ticket-price changes. "It's the trifecta," he says. "The environment is ripe for an increase." Jan 22, 2008

US carriers retreat from $20 add-on. Delta Air Lines, US Airways Group, UAL Corp.'s United Airlines and Continental Airlines also rolled back their surcharges to the old $20 level in prices that showed up in reservation systems Tuesday. The recent increases generally did not apply to routes also flown by low-cost carriers, which are generally more reluctant to boost fees. Most airline stocks fell along with the broader market Tuesday. Shares of American parent AMR Corp. fell 21 cents, or 1.7%, to $12.30. Jan 22, 2008

Air Canada Jazz

Air Canada Jazz launched a daily Ottawa-Montreal-St. John service aboard a 50-seat Bombardier DHC-8-300. It will operate a daily Vancouver-Yellowknife flight aboard a 50-seat Bombardier CRJ until April 4 and will start daily Ottawa-Charlottetown service on May 1 aboard a 50-seat CRJ. Jan 27, 2008

Air Canada, Lufthansa

Air Canada will launch daily Ottawa-Frankfurt service June 1 aboard a Boeing 767-300. Lufthansa will codeshare. AC will place its code on Lufthansa's six-times-weekly Toronto-Dusseldorf service scheduled to operate May 1 to October aboard an A340-300 and Lufthansa's second daily Calgary-Frankfurt flight launching April 14 aboard an A330-300. Air Canada also will transition its daily Montreal-Frankfurt to a Boeing 777-300ER from an A330-300 on April 1. Jan 27, 2008